Anime often takes a long time to produce because it’s an extremely complex and labor-intensive form of media that involves many steps and people before it ever reaches viewers.

First, anime production has multiple phases: planning, scriptwriting, storyboarding, character design, key animation, in-between frames, coloring, voice acting, music, and post-production editing. Each of these stages requires time, coordination, and approvals — and a delay in one stage affects the rest.

Animation itself is one of the most time-consuming parts. Even with modern tools, most anime still involve a lot of hand-drawn work. Key animators draw pivotal frames, and many in-between frames must be created to make motion look smooth. This can mean weeks or months of work for just a few minutes of finished footage.

Another major factor is industry workload and scheduling. Studios often work on several projects at once, juggling multiple series with limited staff. Reassembling the same creative team for a new season can take time because directors, animators, and voice actors may be committed to other work.

https://viewerspoint.com/anime/anime-production-process/